Pertussis - HAN

Pertussis_General_2018

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis lives in the nose, mouth, and throat of infected individuals. The bacteria are shed in nasopharyngeal secretions and can be spread through coughing, sneezing, or direct contact with fluids from the nose, mouth, or throat of an infected person. If untreated, infected individuals can spread the pertussis bacteria to others from 1 week before cough onset to 21 days after cough onset. Untreated infants (<1 year) remain infectious for up to 42 days from cough onset. When treated with antibiotics, the infectious period is reduced to 5 days after the initiation of treatment. Severe infections can result in complications such as pneumonia among all age groups. Seizures and encephalopathy generally occur only among infants. The average incubation period for pertussis is 7-10 days with a range of 4-21 days.

Case Definition

A cough illness lasting ≥2 weeks with at least 1 of the following signs or symptoms:

It is important to note research has found that PCR can detect pertussis in infants less than 6 months of age up to 3 weeks following pertussis treatment initiation. Pertussis positive PCR results may correspond to the presence of antibiotic-damaged bacteria. As a result, the clinical significance of pertussis detected by PCR after initiation of antibiotic treatment is unclear. For more information, see Real-Time PCR Measurement of Persistence of Bordetella pertussis DNA.

Bordetella pertussisCommerical Lab Reference Table

Pertussis Specimen Collection

Collect nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs as soon as pertussis is suspected, within 21 days of cough onset.

- Carefully insert swab through the nares straight back (not upwards) until reaching the posterior wall of the nasopharynx.

- Gently roll and rub the swab.

- Leave the swab in place for several seconds before slowly removing the swab.

***Consider reporting suspect pertussis cases in our NEWOnline Case Report Form so we can exchange information in a confidential format more quickly (supported by IDPH portal REDCap survey). See more reporting instructions to the below.

Pertussis_Prenatal

It is recommended pregnant women receive the tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during each pregnancy. To maximize the maternal antibody response and passive antibody transfer to the infant, pregnant women should receive the vaccine between 27 through 36 weeks gestation. For more information, see Pregnancy and Whooping Cough.